They emerge from the portal while Toffees puppet, Ludo, is being slowly eroded in a vortex of dark power. He has the half-wand raised, and aimed at Glossaryck --- who only looks mildly concerned --- and the Book.
Star is holding the wand to some warlock's spine, and her eyes are aglow --- not only is she channelling every ounce of power from the wand, but she is Dipping Down as well.
The warlock forms three quick signs with her hands, and clenches both fists.
The vortex of dark energies Toffee has woven hides powerful wards. They flare, absorbing the spell. Toffe reacts with the speed of an experienced sorcerer, and starts formulating a counter-attack.
A cloaked girl wields twin dimensional blades, and Toffee directs a plume of darkness to block her path. She reconsiders whatever she was planning, and steps back.
With a ray of entropy, he rips apart the prize they are here for --- scouring blank every page of the Book. A blast of disintegration essence reduces the horrified Glossaryck to slag.
The foolish boy leaps forward into the vortex and bends it to his will --- Ludo is a novice, and while Toffee is not, he has less hold, since dark energy prefers flesh to soul. But again, fortune favors the prepared. He cannot fully wield Eclipsa's techniques and loses control of the energy and explodes into warped flesh.
"You're a fool, Star Butterfly," he says.
Horrified, Star levitates the disfigured boy out, and they disappear into the portal.
Toffee smirks in his borrowed frame. Everything Star loses is a gain to him. She was fond enough of that boy to destroy her wand for him, and now he is an abomination.
Now, to hide the book, return to dormancy, and wait for Queen Moon and the Magic High Commission to wander into his trap.
They emerge from the portal to find Ludo, suspended in a vortex of dark power, wand raised, and aimed at Glossaryck --- who only looks mildly concerned --- and the Book.
Most people would stop and re-orient themselves. The Starknights have studied this very moment intently. They know each their position, role, and the lay of the battlefield from the first tenth of a second.
Star is holding the wand to Janna's spine, and her eyes are aglow --- not only is she channelling every ounce of power from the wand, but she is Dipping Down as well.
Janna forms three quick signs with her hands, and clenches both fists.
Jackie, holding the fake tome, makes the switch, and shoves the Real tome inside Janna's coat where it vanishes.
Marco leaps forward into the vortex and bends it to his will --- Ludo is a novice, and while Toffee is not, he has less hold, since dark energy prefers flesh to soul. With much the same ease as always, he absorbs the dark energy, and channels it into a blast, directed through a portal Jackie has cut.
Finally Ludo lowers to the ground, in a fugue state.
"I can't believe that worked," Jackie comments.
"Don't jinx it," Marco retorts.
Janna runs up to the prone form of Ludo, then kneels and begins incanting a rather lengthy spell. "This will be difficult," she says, concluding her analysis. "Ludo and Toffee's minds are entangled, and Toffee's is only a ghostly impression --- such will!"
"Can you do it?" Marco asks.
"I'll have to, won't I?"
Star levitates the fake Book of Spells away to hide it in a pile of corn somewhere.
Jackie picks the corrupted wand up. "Too bad we have to leave it here," she mutters.
Having scoured the keep for booby traps, Marco, Star and Jackie return to Janna, still kneeling over Ludo-Toffee.
"Do you need more power?" Star asks.
"No," Janna says. "I have it. Let's go."
She stands, and they all head to the portal they came from. It's a short step through, to the plains of time, and then a short cut-and-step, with Marco's scissors which are on the Mewni Palace shortlist, into the very chamber the High Commission is holding their emergency meeting in.
"Star, what is the meaning of---" Queen Butterfly begins.
Janna just shakes her coat, and the Book of Spells falls out, flips open, and Glossaryck floats from it. "Hello. I'm afraid the rumours of my demise were exaggerated."
Hekapoo vaults the table and running with steps so fast they sound like a drum roll, she closes the distance and engulfs Glossaryck in a hug.
"Hey there, Hekapoo," Glossaryck calmly says. "Good to see you are unscathed as well."
Hekapoo steps back, and holds the tiny blue genie at arms length. "You absolute ass! Why did you have to go and get captured?! And by Toffee of all people?!"
Before Glossaryck can get a word in edgewise, Hekapoo turns to the Starknighs. "And you four. Thank you." With the same alacrity, she scoops Marco, the Jackie into a hug. Janna is quick enough to offer a handshake instead, and Hekapoo stops by Star.
"Princess, your scissors will be on the house."
"Does that mean I don't have to fight you for them?" Star asks.
"No," Hekapoo says with a grin, and pulls Star into a hug.
"Now, now, I believe that is quite enough, Hekapoo," Queen Butterfly says.
Hekapoo turns to the Queen. "It's not every day your creator comes back from the dead, so forgive me, my Queen."
"Glossaryck," Queen Butterfly says.
"Moon," Glossaryck replies in kind.
"It is good to have you back. We have much to do. Chancellor Lekmet is dead beyond my revival abilities," she continues.
"A pity. I am not sure anything can be done."
Queen Butterfly nods. "We shall need a thorough de-briefing. Sir Diaz, you seem to be the mastermind of this operation. The opening statement is yours."
It's a short explanation, all things considered, to explain the Starknights' plot. A lot of moving parts culminated in perhaps five seconds of action, total. Omnitraxus prime admits to having known of the involvement of Time Travel, but in real time, he has only had a few seconds of fore-knowledge.
It's a lot longer to explain everything that happened in the time Glossaryck has lost.
Rhombolus brings forth Lekmet's ashes in his own horn, and Glossaryck ruminates over them for almost a full minute before he begins casting spells. After two minutes of investigation he halts.
"I'm afraid Chancellor Lekmet is lost to us," he decrees. "He spent his own soul to bring you back."
The royal undertaker is summoned to arrange the funeral.
"Star, my pupil," Glossaryck continues. "We shall continue your studies at earliest convenience. Sir Diaz, Dame Ordonia, Dame Lynn, thank you for saving my life."
Since they technically had breakfast not two hours ago, Star orders refreshments to her quarters.
"So," Janna says. "What now?"
"Well, it's summer vacation," Jackie says, lying on Star's bed, polishing her scissors. "I'm considering an inter-dimensional internship. Star, who's the spymaster around here?"
"Spymistress. My mom," Star says.
"Seriously?" Marco asks.
"Yeah, also she's the Treasurer, the Court Mistress and the Staff Mistress. My dad is the Commander of the military and the Executive of Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy."
At the uncomprehending looks from her friends, she adds: "That's how monarchies work, don't you know?"
Marco shrugs. "I think I'm going home. My parents are worried sick."
"We need to figure out what to do about Tom," Janna says. "I think he's in trouble."
There's a lapse in the conversation as they all consider what that means.
"Hey, did you know the castle has a pool?" Star says. "Anybody wanna go swim?"
It's summer vacation. Of course they all want to.